Divya Vani - July 1968 - Avatar Meher Baba Trust
Transcript of Divya Vani - July 1968 - Avatar Meher Baba Trust
DIVYA VANI
Volume 4 Number 1
July 1968
A periodical Publication of
the “Meher Vihar Trust”
An Avatar Meher Baba Trust eBook
June 2018
All words of Meher Baba copyright 2018
Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust
Ahmednagar, India
Source and short publication history:
Divya Vani = Divine voice.
Quaterly, v.1, no. 1 (July 1961), v. 3. no. 2 (Oct. 1963): bimonthly, v. 1. no. 1 (Jan. 1964), v. 2 no. 3 (May 1965): monthly. v. 1. no. 1l (July 1965), v. 12, no. 6 (June 1976): bimonthly, v. 1. no. 1 (Aug. 1976), v.14. no. 1 (Jan. 1978): quarterly, v. 1, no. 1 (Jan. 1979), Kakinada : Avatar Meher Baba Mission. 1961- v. : ill.. ports. Subtitle: An English monthly devoted to Avatar Meher Baba & His work (varies). Issues for July - Oct. 1961 in English or Telugu. Editor: Swami Satya Prakash Udaseen. Place of publication varies. Publisher varies: S. P. Udaseen (1961-1965): S.P. Udaseen on behalf of the Meher Vihar Trust (1965-1969): Meher Vihar Trust (l970-Apr. 1974). Ceased publication?
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Monthly: 25th July 1968
D I V Y A V A N I ( DIVINE VOICE )
E d i t o r :
SWAMI SATYA PRAKASH UDASEEN
Phone: 3 6 2 3 3 "The Meher Vihar Trust" Grams: "MEHERVIHAR"
3-6-441, 5th Street, Volume 4 ] Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-29 [ Price:
Number 1 ] (A. P., India) [ Re. 1-00
M E H E R P U B L I C A T I O N S (Revised and Exhaustive Price-List)
Rs. P.
God Speaks by Meher Baba
(Published in U.S.A.) with Charts ... 37.50
Listen Humanity by Meher Baba
(Published in U.S.A.) ... 37.50
Avatar by Jean Adriel
(Published in U.S.A.) ... 20.00
Civilisation or Chaos? by Irene Conybeare
(2nd revised edition) ... 12.00
In Quest of Truth by Irene Conybeare ... 12.00
Stay With God by Francis Brabazon
(Published in Australia) ... 12.00
The Everything and The Nothing by Meher Baba
(for India – Published in Australia) ... 5.00
The Work of Meher Baba with Advanced Souls,
Sadhus, The Mad and The Poor
by Dr. William Donkin ... 3.50
Wisdom of Meher Baba by Ruth White
(Published in U.S.A.) ... 3.00
Discourses by Meher Baba in 5 vols.
(Vols. 1 & 4 are out of stock) each vol. ... 5.00
Let Us The People Sing by Francis Brabazon ... 3.00
Messages by Meher Baba (Eastern & Western) ... 3.00
Meher Baba in The Great Seclusion by Ramju
Abdulla & Dr. C. D. Deshmukh, M.A., Ph.D. ... 1.00
Sobs & Throbs by A. K. Abdulla
(mimeographed) ... 10.00
The Quest by Francis Brabazon
(Published in Australia) ... 2.00
Sparks from Meher Baba (Published in England) ... 1.00
The Highest of the High by Meher Baba ... 1.00
Meher Baba's Call and Existence is Substance
and Life is Shadow by Meher Baba ... 1.00
(Continued on 3rd cover page)
Monthly: 25th JULY 1968
D I V Y A V A N I ( DIVINE VOICE )
AN ENGLISH MONTHLY
Devoted to Avatar Meher Baba & His Work
E d i t o r :
S W A M I S A T Y A P R A K A S H U D A S E E N
Hon. Assistant Editor :
L. Venkayya, B.Sc., LL.B., D.P.A.
Phone: 36233 Grams: "MEHERVIHAR"
THE MEHER VIHAR TRUST
3-6-441, 5th Street, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-29
(A. P., India)
Volume 4 ] Annual Subscription: Rs. 12-00
Number 1 ] Single Copy: Re. 1-00
C O N T E N T S
PAGE Baba warns His lovers: ... 3
Life – Separate and in Unity
by Meher Baba ... 5
Special Train of the Master
by Meher Baba ... 9
Baba's Divine Theme
by Pilot Officer M. Anwar. ... 16
Letters to Beloved Baba
from Rick M. Chapman, U.S.A. ... 20
The Eternal Quest
by S. K. Ghosh, Bilaspur ... 29
Baba and His Work
By K. K. Ramakrishnan, Poona. ... 33
Visit to Meher-Azad and Divine Silence (Poems)
by Dr. Hira Lall Chopra, M.A., D.Litt.,
Calcutta ... 39
Books Received: ... 45
The One in Two (Poem)
by Phillips D. Phillips, U.S.A. ... 46
News in Brief: ... 49
_______
"I am the Ancient One" —Meher Baba
Baba Warns His Lovers
(THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS SENT TO A GROUP OF
BABAWORKERS IN INDIA WHEN SOME MlSUNDER-
STANDlNG HAD CAUSED A RIFT AMONG THEM. IT IS
REPRODUCED HERE FOR THE 1NFORMATION OF LOVERS
AND WORKERS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA.) —EDITOR
King's Road,
Ahmednagar (M. S.)
10th July 1968
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Meher-parivar,
I am extremely pained to find that there is a rift in the
Meher-parivar in ........
This fact has been brought to Beloved Baba's notice with
utmost reluctance. And, Baba wants me to let all His dear
lovers know that:—
(1) Whatever be the cause of the rift, He wants each one to
try best to narrow it down and mend it by forgiving and
forgetting one another's trespasses. This is possible if
one resolves to be very sincere, very humble and very
loving. Hypocrisy, arrogance and hatred widen the rift
and breed contempt.
(2) This is a very critical period of the Avataric Age and all
His lovers must strive their utmost to hold His daaman
very firmly so that it does not slip out of their hands
under any circumstances.
(3) It is very important for all His lovers, specially in this
critical period, not to succumb to lust. Temptations are
and will be great, but your love for Him should be
greater. Remember Him wholeheartedly and rise swiftly
from where you have fallen to march ahead in His Love
and Service as His determined soldiers heading towards
victory.
4 DIVYA VANI
(4) It is equally important at this critical period of the
Avataric Age to beware at all times of persons who lead
others into believing that they are saintly and pious and
profess to possess supernatural powers. However pious
such persons may appear to be, a Baba-lover must never
mix up such piety with the Divinity of the Avatar!
(5) A true Baba-lover must remember the repeated warnings
given to all Baba-lovers time and again to stay away
from persons who feel and assert that they are masters
and saints and possess powers to help human beings.
His lovers and workers should never get involved with
such persons and affairs, much less with perverted
"helpers of humanity" who have no reverence or regard
for the Perfect Masters and the Avatar of the Age.
Beware of them who exploit spirituality to gain their
selfish ends and dupe others in the name of Sadgurus
and The Avatar!
(6) His lovers and workers should not get intimately
involved with the family affairs of one another, and they
should not be emotionally upset by the personal affairs
concerning any of the families. They should NOT let
any personal affairs vitiate their relationships with one
another or affect their efforts in the work they do for the
Cause of Truth.
(7) He wants His lovers and workers who are spreading His
message of Love to others, to share His Love among
themselves and to uphold the spirit of harmony and
understanding in His Name. He wants them to be less
aggressive towards others and less tolerant towards
themselves; and above all He wants them to love Him
wholeheartedly for He is the Ancient One who loves
them more than they can ever love themselves.
Please note the above seven points carefully, as they are
from Beloved Baba. They are for all His lovers and workers
everywhere.
With loving regards,
Yours brotherly,
Sd./ Adi K. Irani
_______
LIFE - SEPARATE AND IN UNITY
By Meher Baba
In all races and under all climes, in all countries and at all
times, man is constantly striving for happiness; but there are
few who have it, because there are very few who truly know
the secret. Man is constantly feeling thwarted and limited; and
he is ever in the clutches of agony or suffering, because, not
knowing his own true nature, he identifies himself with the
body or the desires or the limited individual mind, and thereby
becomes a victim to their respective limitations and suffering.
The ego-life of the limited individual sustains the illusory
duality of 'I' and 'You', 'Mine' and 'Thine', and thus breaks
asunder the unity of life, by introducing in it the false
principle of duality. The ego lives in and through the false
idea of separate existence; and this ignorance, which is its
standing ground, becomes the starting point of a life of
multitudinous and ever increasing desires. The life of desires
is always in unending oscillations between the opposites of
joy and suffering, gratification and disappointment, good and
evil. All the desires which spring from the ignorance of
separative consciousness become a perpetual torture and
limitation; they are all episodes in the life of delusion, where
there is the tyranny of promises that are never fulfilled.
Separative existence derives its being and strength by
identifying itself with an opposite and by distinguishing itself
from another. A man may seek to protect his separate
existence by identification with a particular
6 DIVYA VANI
ideology or with his conception of the good as distinguished
from what he regards as evil. What he gets in such
identification is not a merging of the limited separative self
but only an appearance of such merging. A real merging of the
limited self in universal life involves complete surrender of
separate existence in all its forms.
Just as a person may seek to hold on to his separate
existence through escape or identification with external forms,
he may seek to hold on to it through identification with some
class, creed, sect or religion, or with the division based upon
sex. Here the individual may seem to have lost his separative
existence through identification with the larger whole, But, in
fact, he is expressing his separate existence through such
identification, which enables him to delight in being separate
from others who belong to other classes, nationality, creed,
sect, religion or sex.
In the world today, humanity is divided into narrow
groups based upon the superficial and ultimately false
difference of caste, creed, race, nationality, religion or culture.
In the large mass that is caught up in these separative and
assertive tendencies, and over-powered by these fetters, there
is unrelieved despair.
Sooner or later, man must look within, ponder deeply, and
search within his own heart for those factors which hold him
down in spiritual thraldom; and sooner or later, he must break
asunder the chains of separative thinking which keep him
from the immense and limitless life of the spirit to which he is
heir.
There is not a creature but is destined for the Supreme
Goal, even as there is not a river but is on its way to the ocean;
but, in the human form alone is consciousness so developed
that it is capable of reflecting and expressing the glory and
perfection of the True and Highest Self, which is at the same
time the Self of all.
JULY 1968 7
All life is an effort to attain freedom from self-created
entanglement; it is a desperate struggle to undo what has been
done under ignorance, to throw away the accumulated burden
of the past, to find rescue from the debris left by a series of
temporary achievements and failures. Life seeks to unwind the
limiting sanskaras of the past and to obtain release from the
maze of its own making, so that its further creations may
spring directly from the heart of eternity, in freedom and
intrinsic richness of being.
Sanskaras are the deposits left by the evolutionary descent
into the human form and human consciousness; they are like
the dust that gathers on the pilgrim as he treads his Path. In the
human form, which is the highest, the Divine Life is still
enmeshed in these sanskaric deposits in the mind. Its
expression is, therefore, necessarily curtailed and distorted
through the sanskaras which keep consciousness in the
enticing panorama of the false and phenomenal.
One by one, the multicoloured attachments to the false
have to be relinquished; and one by one, the sanskaric faggots
that feed the fires of the separative ego have to be surrendered
to the claim of the Invincible Flame of Truth. Thus and only
thus can man ascend to the pinnacle of divine attainment
which is the endless beginning of Life Eternal. The Life in
Eternity knows no bondage, decay or sorrow, and is the ever-
lasting and ever-renewing self-affirmation of consciousness
and illimitable divinity. The clouds of sanskaras have to
disappear completely before the sky of consciousness is
illumined by the Inextinguishable Light of God who is the real
Self of all.
Affirmation of the separative ego is the chief veil between
man and his divine self; but the doors of the heart have to be
thrown open by the surrender of the ego-
8 DIVYA VANI
affirmation if God as the Supreme Beloved is to make His
entry in the heart.
The New Humanity will be free from the life of
limitations and allow unhampered scope for the creative life of
the spirit. It will break the attachment to external forms and
learn to subordinate them to the claims of the spirit. The
limited life of illusion and false values will be replaced by the
unlimited life in the Truth; and the limitations, through which
the separate self lives, will wither away in true understanding.
______
_________________________
A Child's Questions Answered God is ever Young
by
Maud Kennedy
Where did I come from?
Where is Heaven?
Do animals have a soul?
These are some of the questions your child is going to ask.
For answers Maud Kennedy has turned to Buddha, Krishna
and Mohamed as well as Jesus. She finds a common ground in
all great religions of the world and by-passing dogma, she
writes simply and humanly for parents and children. The
twenty stories she includes from all over the world to
demonstrate the power of the spirit will delight and instruct
children. In it is also included a story about Meher Baba.
ORDER FROM:
Regency Press Limited, 43 New Oxford Street, London, W.C.I.
BOARD COVERS 12s. 6d. NET. ILLUSTRATED
(By Post 14s. or U.S.A., Canada, etc., $2.50)
________________________________________________
* Special Train Of The Master
by Meher Baba
Analogy of the Special Train
If you want to go to a distant place and have no intention
of landing in the middle, you will naturally take the quickest
train for that destination. The masses who, for attaining God
as Truth, follow rites and rituals are, as it were, in the goods
train, which is indefinitely detained at various stations. Those
who sincerely take some name of God with devotion and
dedicate their life to the service of humanity are, as it were, in
an ordinary train, which stops at every station according to the
scheduled time-table. But those who seek the company of the
Truth-realised Master and carry out his orders in full
surrenderance and faith are, as it were, in a special train,
which will take the aspirant to the Goal in the shortest
possible time without any halts at the intermediate stations.
Main Power House and Storage Batteries
God is the eternal fountain of life and power. Different
souls in the world share this life and power in varying degrees
according to their spiritual proximity to God. The nearer one
is to God or Truth, the less separated does he feel, and the
greater is his life and power. Those who become one with God
are the infinite reservoir of all power, life, wisdom and bliss.
But others also share all
* From "Sparks of the Truth from Dissertations of Meher Baba"
Version by Dr. Chakradhar D. Deshmukh, M.A., Ph.D. (London)
10 DIVYA VANI
these in a limited degree, according to their station in the
universe. If the God realised Master is compared to the main
power-house, where electricity is generated, other souls may
be compared to sub-power-houses or storage batteries, which
receive and conserve a limited degree of electricity and also
can use it within the limits of their respective capacities.
Coaxing the Mind
The mind cannot be turned to the Truth by sheer force. In
the beginning it has to be coaxed and won over from its usual
rambles, just in the same way as it is necessary to coax
children in order to induce them to give up their play and take
to study. The Master wins over the aspirant to the Truth with
infinite dexterity. When the mind is won over to the Truth, all
the senses automatically follow. If the senses are like soldiers,
the mind is like their commander. When the senses retire from
their distracting activities, it is easy for the ego-mind to
consume itself in the blazing fire of Divine Love.
Enlightened Service
One of the ways by which the Master takes the aspirant to
this goal is initiating him into spiritually enlightened service.
The type of service which liberates consciousness from its
bondage is very rare. Many worldly people, who seem to have
devoted their lives to the service of humanity are actually
serving their own desires. They are really after achieving
greatness or fame. Even when service is rendered with the sole
idea of conferring some benefit upon others, the veil of duality
is still there. In spiritual service, there is no room for obliging
anyone. On the contrary, the person who renders spiritual
service should feel that he is himself being obliged by being
given an opportunity to serve. Even this phase, however, has
in it a shadow of slight illusion, for the thought of sepa-
JULY 1968 11
rateness from those who are served. is still there, though not in
an aggravated or aggressive form. In perfect service, there is
no thought of any separateness between the one who serves
and the one who is being served. But such service is possible
only for the God-Man.
Maintaining Link with the World
Ordinarily, the universal mind of the Master is linkcd up
both with the world and with God. It is ceaselessly active even
without the interruptions of sleep, which bring psycho-
physical rest to ordinary persons. If the Master wants to have
rest from his work, he has to get away from the world. But as
soon as he does this his universal mind has a tendency to get
merged in the Truth. The link with the world is in danger of
being snapped altogether. This difficulty is usually
surmounted by taking recourse to physical activity like
climbing mountains or running or playing. Such physical
activity gives him the much needed interval of psychic rest or
relaxation without snapping his link with the world.
Choice of the Disciple
It is for the Master to take the disciple to the heights of
attainment, when he is willing to tread the Path, But the
choice of whether or not he is going to tread the Path rests
with the disciple. It is for the Master to give the clarion call of
'Awake! Arise or remain fallen for ever!' and to precipitate the
awareness of the urgent need for spiritual advancement. It is
for the disciple to pay heed to his clarion call and gird up his
loins for treading the arduous spiritual path which is far from
being a bed of roses.
Attractions of Maya
The spiritual line requires a readiness to face the severest
of difficulties. It requires iron will and a heart which does not
melt at the sight of worldly scenes, but
12 DIVYA VANI
which remains firm on the Path. One yogi actually saw his
wife jumping from the gallery to the floor and dying for him,
but he remained unmoved by the attractions of Maya and did
not stop even to look at her. He steadied his mind only in his
Master's command that he was to give up everything and
follow him. The Path often calls for such resoluteness. The
disciple must be able to face the blame or the ridicule of the
world as if it were only the chirping of birds. He should be
able to stick to his considered decision in the face of all
opposition.
Drawing the Member of the Circle
Once the disciple makes up his mind to stick to his
Master and follow him, he should not allow any other worldly
considerations to derail him from his determination. The
Master rarely gives a disciple an order to give up everything
and follow him. He does so when the disciple happens to be a
member of his Circle, owing to his long connection with him
through past lives. Even if such a member of his Circle
happens to be at the other end of the globe, the Master has his
eye on him.
The Inescapable Duty
Other friends of such a disciple might want to drag him
back to the material life of self and desires. But the Master
draws him to the freedom of the Truth, sometimes apparently
against his very wishes and quite regardless of whether he
happens at that time to be a great sinner. In such cases, the fact
often is that the Higher Self of the disciple has already made
its decision to attain the Truth, though the temporary surging
up of desires sometimes makes him feel that he is not keen
about it. His having been accepted by his Master at his own
request and on his voluntary surrenderance, imposes upon the
Master an inescapable duty to save him from a further life of
enslavement and ultimately to give him spiritual perfection.
JULY 1968 13
The Reverse Law for the Masses
But this is the privilege only of those who, through their
past connections, have entered the circle of the Master. With
regard to the masses, who constitute millions, the attitude of
the Master is exactly the reverse. They often judge themselves
to be ready for the highest spiritual attainment. They come to
the Master with sincere prayers to be taken up and be relieved
of their worldly responsibilities and sufferings. They want to
take to the spiritual line of renunciation and advance in it. Yet
in spite of their loud clamouring and pressing requests, the
Master makes them live in the world and stand the hardest of
tests for years and sometimes for several lives. Though they
are thus made to stand and wait, they acquire little by little the
right to enter the circle of the Master if they faithfully carry
out his directions in the midst of their worldly contexts in
which their past karma happens to have placed them.
Inner Working
The masses are given guidance and are then left to work
out their own destiny by stages until they really earn the right
of being accepted into the circle of the Master. But the
members of the circle, on the other hand, are actually dragged
out of their limiting contexts and, even in the face of their
apparent unpreparedness for spiritual life, they are taken
through the Path. Of course the Master never draws any one
by physical or mental force. But he simply adjusts his inner
working in such a manner that the disciple gets drawn to the
Path of Truth.
Disciple must not be like a Weather-Cock
When the disciple is thus drawn on the Path, he has to
stand firmly by the Truth and his Master instead of allowing
himself to waver and change like a weather-cock. He must not
desert his self-chosen line at any cost. The
14 DIVYA VANI
forces of Mayavic ignorance are great and irresistible even for
those who are great fighters for the cause of Truth. But the
disciple in the circle has to brave them all. He must not leave
the Path of his choice even against great odds. He must be like
a rock, unaffected by the raining of hardships of physical,
financial, mental or emotional difficulties. He, however, is not
merely expected to be firm on the path. The Master gives him
the necessary strength and is always behind him with all the
infinite powers attendant upon his spiritual perfection.
Sinners and Saints
The Master voluntarily chooses to come to the world for
its upliftment in spite of all its painful shortcomings and
perversities. He may choose to give the benefit of his vision
and powers to the worst of sinners. And when such a sinner
sincerely makes the most of this benefit, he can in due time
surpass even the best of such saints as have no humility to
surrender themselves to a Truth-realised Master in spite of
their plodding on the Path by the momentum of their
temperament. Those who have the advantage of being taken
up by the Master, do not have to follow different spiritual
Paths or Yoga in their separateness. All of them get
beautifully welded into one without any need for special
efforts.
The Fusion of all Paths in one makes Master the Fastest of all
Trains
In sincere surrenderance to the Master, the disciple comes
very near to the stopping of the mind, which is the object of
most yogic processes. In thinking day and night of the Master,
the disciple nearly achieves the ultimate objective of the
diverse practices of meditation and concentration. By putting
the work of the Master above his own personal needs, he
achieves the aim of all renunciation. In obeying the Master at
any cost and serving him selflessly, he nearly arrives at the
culmination of the Path
JULY 1968 15
of action. In understanding the Master as he is, he comes to
the end of the Path of knowledge. And in loving the Master
above everything else, he becomes one with him as Truth and
thus attains God-hood, which is the ultimate goal of all search
and endeavour. When the time is ripe, realisation of divinity
comes inevitably through the Master. It is never given before
the time is ripe; but it is also never held up even for a split-
second after the time is ripe.
_______
_________________________________________________
A Humble Request
May we request you, to contribute to our "Building Fund
and Printing Works Special Donation" Scheme, and associate
yourself with the task of establishment of a permanent abode
of humble and dedicated workers of Meher Baba, the Avatar
of the Age, in the historical city of Hyderabad, sanctified by
Beloved Baba by His many visits and stay during His Mast-
Work and also during the Mano-Nash period. In order to
enable one and all, whether rich or poor, the system of issue of
tickets of various denominations, viz., Rs. l, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100,
500 and 1000 has been adopted. Those who desire to send
their love-contributions may kindly do so by Postal Money
Orders or Bank Cheques on Andhra Bank Ltd., or State Bank
of India, (Hyderabad-A. P., India) to the undersigned and
oblige.
With loving regards,
Yours fraternally,
SWAMI SATYA PRAKASH UDASEEN
Managing Trustee, The Meher Vihar Trust
3-6-441, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-29.,
A. P., India.
_________________________________________________
BABA'S DIVINE THEME
By Plt. Offr. M. Anwar
(Based on a talk given by Gp. Capt. M. M. Sakhare)
There are a few questions which have engaged the minds
of thinking men since times immemorial such as "What is this
Universe? What is Creation? What is its purpose? Is the whole
universe a chaos or is there any meaning behind it? The proper
understanding of these questions has always remained a
difficult problem because of the inadequacy of the human
intellect.
However, it must be agreed that the entire universe is
governed by definite laws and is based on certain fixed pattern.
One can discern the inner discipline all round. One can see
that the creation was and is not chaotic but is based on
orderliness. Take, for example, the solar system where all the
planets revolve round the sun in a most orderly manner. This
discipline is manifest even in the smallest invisible particle,
the atom. In the same way the electrons revolve round the
nucleus of the atom. No one sees the atom with his eyes; yet
the existence of atom and its structure is as much a fact as the
solar system and the existence of God. Thus what Lord
Krishna said thousands of years back and what Baba says that
"I am in everything and everywhere" once accepted in faith on
a philosophical basis has now become comprehensible even
on scientific basis.
The Universe runs on a beautiful panoramic pattern
governed by the law of Illusion according to divine plan.
JULY 1968 17
Slightest deviation from this pattern would result in ex-
tinction of the entire humanity. Man draws his energy from
the sun. If the sun stops shedding radiant rays or warmth even
for a split second, the entire solar system will collapse. Thus,
there is a definite meaning, purpose and discipline in the
universe. The sustenance of universe is because of its
following a fixed pattern, based on certain higher laws of
gravitation (attraction) which is nothing but the shadow of
Divine Love. There is an inescapable relationship between the
Universe and man; the latter has to follow the same order as
the former.
In the absence of order and discipline in his life man has
degenerated into meaningless automation. The modern craze
generated in this civilization is a sad indication of inner
indiscipline which is the outcome of lack of faith in himself
and in God, the Creator and man's inability to comprehend His
Divine Plan in relationship with the universe.
Man with his puny little intellect cannot understand the
ineffable vastness of the universe which Meher Baba
compares with an imbecile trying to measure the ocean with a
tea cup. Only those who have attained the highest stage of
consciousness by involution have comprehended this theme
and put it down in our scriptures. Baba has explained this
'Divine Theme' in His book 'God Speaks.'
Man is a part of this Divine Theme. If he attains higher
consciousness and reaches the ethereal height by means of
'tapasya' and by shedding gradually his ''Sanskaric" and
"mayavic" binding he starts comprehending his place in the
Divine Theme. The whole creation is one big dream. It has
emanated from the infinite state of God. And the whole
creation is the shadow of one Adi Shakti—one Brahman.
There is discernable relationship between the Brahman, the
man and the particle of dust which is our Universe. Millions
and millions of years ago
18 DIVYA VANI
our tiny Universe evolved into becoming what we assume to
be everything. From it emanated the solar system and then
from this the creation on our Earth. Sir James Jeans, the great
astrophysicist, in his book, "The expanding Universe" has
aptly compared the Universe with a stupendous mind which
seems to be in the process of development. But it has two
aspects —One is the manifest and the other unmanifest.
Apparently there is creation, sustenance and destruction which
is the external manifestation of the trinity of the Hindu
conception Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Ostensibly
everything that is in existence is negated and destroyed but
actually it is not so but gets transmuted and assimilated in
higher forms. Thus Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are one and
the same but have the three aspects of the same Adishakti.
This can be explained with the example of a grain of barley
which the German philosopher Hegel used for different
purpose. A grain of barley put in the soil appears negated or
destroyed. But it is not actually destroyed. It gives place to a
plant which grows up and sustains for some time. The plant
does not remain for long but is destroyed. This destruction of
the plant is apparently so. It gives place to many grains at a
time. Thus the Universe is in a state of flux; there is thesis.
anti-thesis and synthesis. The manifest aspect of the Divine
Law is the creation and destruction but the unmanifest aspect
is that the "part" the essence or the Atman is never destroyed
but gets assimilated in the "Whole"—same infinite state-form
which it was created, i.e., the Adishakti or Brahman or the
Infinite state. From this infinite "Beyond the Beyond" state of
God, i.e. "Nirakar Nirguna State"—Paratpar Parabrahma"
state of God finite matter, atoms of gas were manifested. Then,
through the natural evolutionary processes, this gas became
solidified and took the form of stone, from stone to metals ....
vegetation—worms—fish—bird—animals and, finally a fully
developed intellectual being, i.e. man.
JULY 1968 19
From this state of man, man goes through life, shedding
off his 'sanskaric' and "mayavic" bindings according to the
Divine law of karma. In this process he gains higher states of
consciousness and then goes on to the highest state. Now the
process is involutionary, from gross to subtle, from subtle to
mental, i.e. "Anna Bhumika", "Pran Bhumika", ''Mana
Bhumika" through seven planes of consciousness. After the
seventh and final plane he becomes one with super-
consciousness and attains "Aham Brahmasmi" state, i.e. "I am
God", or "Anal Haq" State. This is the Divine Theme—from
the Beyond the Beyond, the infinite unconscious state of God,
the finite material state comes into being, which in turn
through evolutionary and involutionary process becomes the
infinite conscious Supreme Being, Who is all power—all
knowledge—all bliss—Brahman i.e. ''Nirguna Nirakar"
becoming '"Saguna Sakar" or "Sat Chit Anand"— God.
D I V Y A V A N I (An English Monthly)
To our Inland Subscribers:
Single Copy: Excluding Postage ... Re. 1-00
Annual Subscription: Including Postage ... Rs. 12-00
Helpers:
Those who donate Rs. 25-00 or more every year are
deemed to be our helpers and they shall be supplied with
a copy each of 'Divya Vani' Monthly, published during
the year, post free and cost free.
Patrons:
Those of the donors who pay Rs. 200-00 at a time
as their love-contribution are deemed as our Patrons and
they shall be supplied with a copy each of the Journal
published every year, post free and cost free.
—Editor & Publisher
Letters To Beloved Baba
From Rick M. Chapman, U.S. A.
1st March '68
Berkeley
Beloved Baba,
The days have passed like a breeze in summer since the
last time I wrote to You three weeks ago. Busy February has
now passed, with its many programs, travels, Your Birthday
celebration by Your lovers here and throughout the world, and
your heart-stirring cables of Love and Love-Blessing and of
awesome times to come. Now March arrives, brimming over
already with plans and itineraries which make the month
ahead look busier and more exciting than ever before. After
decades of impatient waiting for the signal from You that the
time is ripe, the news of Your Presence among men on earth is
now flying around the world faster than any man can see.
It was Valentine's night that Bob Dreyfuss and I spoke
about "The Name of God" on the Berkeley campus and
showed a film of God in human form. The next day I set out
for Denver on the six-day trip, which I outlined in my last
letter. Friday, February 16th, I drove up into the mountains of
Colorado, first to Leadville at 10,000 feet altitude and then to
Glenwood Springs where I spoke at the two campuses of the
Colorado Mountain College giving Your views on drugs. Both
audiences were interes-
JULY 1968 21
ted and attentive, but the Glenwood Springs group was far
more interested in hearing about the Avatar of the Age than
about drugs and the talk soon centred entirely on You.
The next major stop was Aspen, Colorado, a ski resort of
great renown throughout the nation and the world which has
become attractive to a good number of artists and bohemians.
There a girl named Mary Lynne Hartwell, who had met Allan
on an earlier trip of his through Colorado, had arranged a
place for a talk and had stirred up quite a bit of interest
throughout the town. The talk was held in a rustic beer parlor
which was temporarily closed for remodeling, and the people
who came to hear about "the Highest of the High"—people
interested and people seeking in a variety of ways and paths—
almost all seemed strongly drawn to the Truth which You
Alone Are.
The following day was Monday, the 19th, and I set out
that morning across the mountains to Steamboat Springs,
another small mountain town where two schools, a private
high school and a junior college, were beginning to have
problems with their students using drugs. After lunch at the
Whitemen School, the private school which is tucked four
miles back into the snow-laden hills, I drove into town and the
students followed by bus to the Colorado Alpine College
where the talk was scheduled. A large number of students
came to hear—"LSD: Consciousness Expansion or Corrosion''
was the topic—and in the end the questions were asked more
and more about You and how to find God without the use of
drugs.
After the talk I drove back to Denver, had dinner with my
parents, and later appeared on a radio talk show with two very
different 'men of religion'—a swami from India, Parampanthi,
who heads the International Center of Religion and Culture in
Denver, and a popular Univer-
22 DIVYA VANI
salist minister, John Graham. The program was slated to
explore the reasons why today's younger generation is so
attracted to the ideas and teachers of the East, and I had a
chance to tell them about the Source of Truth, the Ocean of
Love, Who is the magnet behind all this activity.
Tuesday night, the 20th, I flew to Rapid City, South
Dakota, talked informally in a coffee house called the Great
Pumpkin, and the next day delivered a convocation speech on
the psychedelic drug issue. The college had invited me to talk
about drugs there as merely a precautionary measure—they
had no drug problem on campus, they said, but they wanted to
forewarn their students concerning the risks involved—yet
when I arrived, an administrator confided that the talk would
be more timely than expected since some problems seemed to
be cropping up regarding marijuana use. Indeed, the students
were much less naive than the faculty knew, and about 700
persons came to hear the talk and had many pertinent
questions afterwards.
I returned to Denver on the afternoon of the 21st and spent
two or three hours with Winnie Barrett, a lover of Yours from
Chapel Hill who now lives in Denver. She had made
arrangements for two talks in mid-March, one at Denver
University and the other a public program to be held at a small
theater. She also introduced me to the editors of a new
'underground' newspaper in Denver who have shown quite a
bit of interest in You and who have printed some articles
about You in their paper. In their desire to poke fun at
everything in the world and with their very shallow
acquaintance with You, one of their articles was in bad taste,
and I talked with these editors for some time to try to give
them some better understanding of Who You are. They
seemed interested and eager to know as much as they could—
it remains to be seen how serious their interest is.
JULY 1968 23
At 3:30 A.M. the next morning my dear father dutifully,
and yet lovingly, rolled out of bed and took me to the airport
so that I could return to Berkeley in time for Thursday's
classes.
The Birthday celebration itself was extraordinary. Though
the hall on the Berkeley campus was barely half full when the
program began, 5 minutes later it was packed and overflowing
with almost 300 people. The talks came more from the heart
than the head, songs were sung with great love for the True
Beloved, and the long movie of the East-West gathering left
the audience with the strong impression that they had actually
had the darshan of the Ancient One. It was a day of great
happiness and rejoicing, as Your lovers became caught up all
the more inescapably in the Divine Romance.
Allan is away on a week-long trip as March begins. In two
days I will drive down to Monterey, about three hours south of
Berkeley, to talk to a private high school on the drug issue,
and on the next day I will stop at the University of California
at Santa Cruz and talk of You under the auspices of the
psychology club there. The title of that talk will hopefully
fetch all those with an esoteric bent: "Future of Consciousness:
The Psychology of Unlearning."
On the 7th of this month my classes of this winter term
come to an end, and I am planning to fill up the three weeks
between then and the spring term with a whirlwind tour to the
cast coast. Many of the engagements along the way are still
tentative, but here is a rough picture of my expected schedule:
March 7th-13th: Denver, Colorado— Conference with
administrators at
Colorado State Uni-
versity on drug pro-
blem (8th); talks and
24 DIVYA VANI
film showings on
Denver University
campus and in down-
town theater (12th
afternoon and night);
talk at Colorado
University (13th).
March 14th: Columbia, Missouri— seminar explicitly
focussed on You and
public talk —"Inside
Indian Mysticism"
at Stevens College
(afternoon and night).
March 15th: Pittsburgh, Kansas— possible talk at a
state teacher's col-
lege where Allan has
spoken previously.
March 16-17th: Myrtle Beach— with Your lovers!'
March 18th: Chapel Hill, North possible talks on the
Carolina— university of North
Carolina campus and
at Duke University.
March 19th-23rd: New York City— plans being made by
Adele McCuen and
other lovers; possi-
bly the Alan Burke
TV show (which
Henry Kashouty was
on) and others; Allan
will be in New York
for 3 days, the 20th
through 22nd, and
we are planning a
public talk together
JULY 1968 25
as well as TV, radio
programs.
March 23nd (evening): Cedar Grove, a talk to the lnter-cul-
New Jersey— tural Association on
the topic: "Genera-
tion Changes: Etched
in Acid".
March 24th (Sunday): New York City.
March 25th: Possibly Montreal, where Cay Draper
Canada— may be able to
arrange a talk at the
Psychology Club of
McGill University.
March 26th Boston: Massachusetts— Your lover Jim Ke-
Grew is trying to
arrange talks with
the Harvard Divinity
School, with another
group on the Har-
vard campus, and
with Boston College.
March 27th-28th: Upstate New York— if the 27th is not
spent in Boston, then
there are possibilities
for talks at colleges
near Kingston, New
York, in Tom Riley's
vicinity; perhaps a
public meeting in
Woodstock; Maya
Andrau is arranging
talks and radio in-
terviews.
26 DIVYA VANI
March 29th-30th: New York City.
March 31st: return to Berkeley to begin classes on April 1st.
I have heard just a few hours ago that in Your unending
Divine Compassion You have again forestalled the ending of
Your Seclusion, now until the 25th of May. Help us all,
dearest Beloved, to make full and best use of this critically
precious time, to cast off all laziness and all worldly
fascination, to strive with honest determination and with real
love to love You more and more........ and to hold with un-
wavering faith and obedience to Your Daaman to the very end!
Love from Your Moochewala
Sd. Rick
_______
18th May 1968
Piedmont
Beloved Baba,
We have received the latest Family Letter here, with Your
messages and instructions. About a week ago I wrote a special
delivery letter to Ella Winterfeldt to request 50 additional
letters for distribution to new lovers, and she received that
letter just before she placed her order with the printing
company. Yesterday we received them all by air mail and
immediately dispatched them all by air to various lovers and
new groups around the country who are not on any list to
receive the letters.
Many of these new lovers who are cropping up in all
places and in every corner of the United States seem clearly to
be Your children in Your Family. I can only say, in order to
convey something of their feeling about Your most recent
messages, that Your dear children seem willing to wait in
patient and cheerful obedience for forty-
JULY 1968 27
three more Silence anniversaries if asked by You—many
rejoice to have a 'wish' from You which they may carry out,
even when their obedience to Your wishes keeps them from
seeing You! But I hope, Beloved, for Your Sake, that it won't
take forty-three more years of Silence before the world
becomes ready to receive Your Ocean-Tide of Love.
About a week ago, on the 10th of May, I spoke and
showed a film at Berkeley High School, probably the biggest
and best known High School in the area and a very precocious
one from the point of view of drug indulgence and interest in
mysticism. There are several lovers of Yours at the school—
one girl, Lolly Bartlett, is working with me and helping out
immensely on Work here; and a boy named Mike Johnson
was the person who arranged my talk and Allan's earlier talk
at the high school.
Fifty students or so were expected for the talk and film—
the title of the talk read "Meher Baba the God-Man: Awakener
of the Highest Consciousness''. By the time the talk began, the
"Little Theater" where it was held was stuffed to overflowing,
more than five hundred students in the audience. It was a great
surprise, both to Your Moochewala and to the lovers at the
school, and though the talk was quite simple and introductory,
there were many who seemed deeply touched by You.
This coming Tuesday night, Paula Gordon has arranged a
program on the Berkeley campus originally intended to
celebrate May 21st as Your final day in seclusion. The
celebration, of course, will continue, celebrating Your
happiness with Your work done in Seclusion, celebrating
Your Love for man which transforms man into God,
celebrating all those seekers who in their seeking have
stumbled across the Pearl Himself when at the time they were
looking only for the path that leads to the Pearl, celebrating ...
oh, there will be no shortage of good reasons for celebration!
28 DIVYA VANI
Next week I am planning to drive down to Los Angeles
Wednesday afternoon, the 22nd. I am scheduled to participate
in a "marijuana workshop" (no experimenting!) put on by the
County of Los Angeles to consider the problem of marijuana
use. There may also be a possibility of appearing on a
television show or two, such as Stan Borhman's Tempo II
which both Allan and I have been on before—Ivy Duce is
lending me some films to use on television if the chance arises.
Saturday, May 25th, a week from today, I will be in Santa
Barbara, about a hundred miles north of Los Angeles, where
one of the large campuses of the University of California is
located and where an explosion of interest in You has
occurred far in advance of anyone speaking or showing films
of You there. These new and yet deep lovers of Yours have
been in touch with Filis from time to time, and some have
driven up to Berkeley on two occasions to talk and get books
and literature. Literally scores of copies of Discourses and
many copies of God Speaks and all other available books
have been ordered by these Santa Barbara lovers, and at the
present it appears to be one of the most active frontiers in
Your Love in the country. Saturday night Your Moochewala
will tell about You and his meeting with You and with Your
most dear lovers in India, and these fiery new lovers will also
have films of You to see.
By Sunday I will return to Berkeley area, to settle in for
heavy studying to wrap up this first year in graduate, school. I
am now living about fifteen minutes outside of Berkeley in
the Piedmont hills, in a house which I share with a warm and
deep lover of Yours named James Taylor. The house is
wonderfully suited to the work that You do here—we have
named it "Meher Daaman."
Love to You, Beloved—Love, Love, Love, consume us in
Your Love.
Sd./ Rick
The Eternal Quest
by S. K. Ghosh. Bilaspur
From its very inception the humanity as a whole con-
sciously or unconsciously has been seeking for an unknown
object. This object can be best termed as "Anandam" or
"Bliss''. To quote Avatar Meher Baba: "Consciously or
unconsciously every living creature seeks one thing. In the
lower forms of life and in less advanced human beings, the
quest is unconscious. It is conscious in advanced human
beings. The object of the quest is called happiness, peace,
freedom, truth, love, perfection, self-realisation, God-
realisation or Union with God."
While in the process of search, it has to encounter many
hindrances in passing through the various stages of different
lives in the evolutionary process. The bliss or anandam, which
is eternally emanating from supreme Source of indivisible
God and ceaselessly radiating through pure love, is the
Original Source of phenomenon world, and is governing to its
entirety as a pivotal point. Man being limited by his ignorance,
earned through sanskaras, accumulated in past lives, can never
be free from the influence of sanskaric bindings. Though it
appears to be paradoxical, man finds his whole being in the
limited cage of physical form.
The quest takes its course through various stages of the
objective world, motivated by the inherent longing and
dormant impetus and continues eternally.
30 DIVYA VANI
According to the evolutionary process the individualised soul
continues its journey through the gate way of births and deaths,
sometimes ascending and sometimes descending in the state of
consciousness. After attaining the human form, the intellect, which
was hitherto dormant during its journey through bird, animal and
other animate and inanimate beings, takes its revelation and begins
to function, simultaneously creating Sanskaras. In the succeeding
life the pre-earned longing (sanskaras), cannot be fully worked out
and release the mental body or karan-sharira—the abode of
Sanskaras, The reincarnation or Punarjanma, therefore becomes
inevitable.
Being unaware of its object man tries to perpetuate bliss
through ephemeral sources in the self-centred physical body. The
physical body can only enjoy gross objects which are never lasting.
The sensory organs or "Indriyas" being the only medium for
enjoying the earthly phenomenon, man feels complacent in his
limited horizon of apprehension.
Avatar Meher Baba says: "Every one wants to know and realise
the Truth, but the Truth cannot be known and realised as Truth
unless ignorance is known and realised as ignorance. The Truth
connotes absolute bliss, absolute power and absolute knowledge."
Man in the whirlpool of worldly Maya gets engrossed due to his
past karma and the aim of life gets dissolved in the abysmal of
oblivion.
His physical appearance, subtle thought and mental make-up
appear to him as his whole being. The purpose of life is thus lost.
This is the stage of every man irrespective of his worldly status.
What a mysterious game it is! As a pilgrim before beginning his
journey, he chalks out a plan to cover thousands of miles and then
reach to his desired destination, but gets stuck up even at the very
first station by seeing the surrounding beauty of the
JULY 1968 31
enchanting mirage, which appears to him, as real. This induces him
to feel and take it as the only mission of life.
Self-complacent in discharging day-to-day duties becomes not
only an obstacle for individual's onward progress in the present life,
but also the persistence of impressions are carried on in future lives
and predetermines their activities. This is how the individual
remains at poles apart from his real quest. The Perfect Master alone
can save and guide the individual from this stray journey. Having
realised this stray journey, Vishwa Kavi Rabindranath Tagore sung
in ecstasy:
"No more sailing from harbour to harbour with this my
weather-beaten boat. The days are long passed when my sport
was to be tossed on waves.
And now I am eager to die into the deathless.
Into the audience hall by the fathomless abyss where swells up
the music of toneless strings I shall take this harp of my life."
Beloved Baba says, "The series of incarnations which the soul
is impelled to take through Karmic determination, has a tendency to
become endless. Through innumerable lives, the aspirant has come
into contact with countless persons; and he has had all kinds of
dealings of give and take with them. He is entangled in a web of all
sorts of debts to pay and dues to recover; and according to the
karmic law, he can neither avoid the debts nor the dues; since both
have the outcome of Karma inspired by desire. He keeps
incarnating in order to pay off his debts and to recover his dues, but
when he means to clear up the account, he is often unable to do so."
32 DIVYA VANI
The real guide in this state is a Perfect Master. And an
aspirant comes in his contact only when he has ennobled
himself to a state of a recipient. But during Avataric period
one need not necessarily prepare himself to the requisite
standard to be a recipient of His (Avatar's) Grace. Because
during Avataric period God not only descends on earth and
personifies Himself, but He also descends to the level of
consciousness of all animate and inanimate creatures of the
world, i.e., He becomes saint for saint, sinner for sinner,
animal for animal, bird for bird, dust for dust and so on. The
sole purpose of God to become man is to give a universal
spiritual push to the world and thereby bringing them nearer to
God.
Humanity of the present age is twice blessed to live in an
Avataric age. God out of His infinite mercy has once again
descended on earth in the form of Avatar Meher Baba and He
is giving His clarion call to humanity to love Him and to
approach Him with unreserved mind and pure heart. The
darkest part of the night is about to be over. The long tunnel of
frustration and despondency will soon disappear and the quest
which was hitherto purposeless will find its destination with
the breaking of Avatar Meher Baba's unique Silence.
Jai Baba!
_______
Baba and His Work
By K. K. Ramakrishnan, Poona
Two years ago this day, Baba came to us and He sat here,
where we keep His photo. Every Monday, when we sit here I
see (say I visualise) His green car coming; I see Him alighting
from His car; I see Him waking majestically with that radiant
smile that delights the hearts of His lovers, ever shedding light
of love in the dark corners of human hearts. Yes, 1 see Him
walking towards the seat, His feet being greeted with praise at
every step by flowers eager for being trodden under His
sacred feet—flowers that waited patiently on the white path
we laid for Him. Yes, He came amongst us and sat here. This
day is a great day in the history of this Centre.
This atmosphere has been created by His Wish; sustained
and supported by His Love and Grace. On our part we desired
to come together, to take His name together, to sing His glory
together, to try to understand Him and His ways. This
atmosphere is created to help us feel His presence in us and
around us; to help His lovers in Poona to come together and in
their efforts to spread His Message of love and Truth and draw
more and more men towards Him. It is not a great thing for
God to come to His lovers and sit with them and hear their
supplications? Some
From the talk given on the occasion of the 2nd Anniversary
of Avatar Meher Baba's visit to Poona Centre.
34 DIVYA VANI
of us may not be feeling the greatness of this occasion,
because of our close contacts with Him, because of our
familiarity with Him, because of the opportunities He in His
infinite mercy and love gives us to be near to Him. But, never
for a moment forget, that in all conditions and circumstances
He remains what He is, Baba is Baba. He is God.
There are Rishis and Munis sitting on the Himalayan
heights doing Japas, Tapas and penances. There are many
others sitting in dark caves and wandering across jungles in
search of Him. Many sit in meditation and contemplation to
have a glimpse of Him.
In fact, every man, nay every living being, longs to meet
Him. Consciously or unconsciously every creature aspires to
reach Him. Life is an attempt to meet and merge in Him. For,
He alone is there to aspire for. He alone is there to meet. And
we all meet Him in and through our limited aspirations and in
and through the form of our seeking Him. Thus when man
feels happy it is a little of bliss of Godhood he experiences for
a moment. But what he wants is the real happiness and that
happiness to be made permanent. Baba, the Ancient One is
Bliss Infinite and Existence Eternal.
How does Baba appear to all? To a man in the gross world,
He appears in the form of man. To those in different planes of
consciousness, He appears in forms suited to those planes, and
states. In the Avataric period, God appears to all created
beings, according to the evolutionary stages they are in, and
according to the development of their consciousness. For
instance, Baba appears to an ant in the form of a big ant
commanding love, respect and reverence as He commands
love and reverence from man in His form as Man. To those
advanced souls in the subtle planes, He appears as brilliant
JULY 1968 35
lights, delightful sounds and soul-stirring fragrance and to
those in the sixth plane of consciousness, He appears as all-
pervading. To His lovers in the gross plane, He appears as
their Beloved.
Thus our Beloved Baba came to our Centre two years ago.
He sat amongst us, listened to our address, read out to Him by
our elder brother Shri Gadekar, who is now with Baba for ever.
He listened to our songs and was happy to be amongst us. And
what did He say? He said, "I have created the atmosphere you
wanted. Now, it is for you all to keep it up. My blessings to
you all.''
Today we can confidently say we have kept up this
atmosphere till this day. Now, it is for Him to help us keep it
up in the future, for He alone can do it now.
Now, what do we really mean by keeping up this
atmosphere? Does it mean only to come here at 7 p.m. every
Monday, sing, talk, listen and go back home? If that is all
what we mean by atmosphere, then it is a sort of mechanical
performance of an enforced duty. And not keeping up of an
atmosphere Beloved Baba wished us to keep up.
Then what is that atmosphere Baba wants us to keep up?
The atmosphere Baba wants every one of His lovers
everywhere to keep up, is, as I understand, the atmosphere that
is in us and around us—the atmosphere each one of us creates
by our mere presence wherever we are. This atmosphere is
created by Baba and blessed by Him by sitting here amongst
us as our Beloved, creating. in our hearts a feeling of oneness
with others as brothers and sisters and we endeavour to
maintain this atmosphere by sitting here once in a week. But
the real test of our maintaining this atmosphere is seen from
the way we live outside this hall all the seven days of the week.
This atmosphere is meant to be carried to every home and they
36 DIVYA VANI
in turn should transform the atmosphere to other homes in
Poona. It should be like the incense we burn. When we use a
good agarbathi (incense stick) the fragrance reaches the
neighbouring houses and they in turn buy the same and the
whole locality realises the one sweet fragrance. Now how can
we spread the fragrance of Baba's Message of Love & Truth?
"Let your life itself be My Message of Love and Truth to
others", says Baba. Means what? Live our life normally and
naturally, which means to be honest in our thoughts, words
and deeds. To be honest means to love one and all, taking
Baba to be residing in them all. Our relation with one another
must be established on this Truth. At least an honest attempt
should be made.
This atmosphere we keep up here attracts our friends and
relations to come. They hear of Baba, who Baba is and what
He says. They in turn tell their friends and relations and thus
the Advent of the Avatar is known and His Message of Love
and Truth spreads far and wide. We, by keeping up this
atmosphere are able to serve our brothers and sisters in
guiding their steps to the presence of the Avatar of the age. In
guiding one to Baba's presence we are helping one to come to
God—goal of everyman, consciously or unconsciously he is
seeking. This is the greatest service you and I can do in this
world.
On an occasion, Vivekananda said, "Millions of lives are
nothing to sacrifice, if that sacrifice can give spiritual light to
one soul." He talked about spiritual light. Baba, the Ancient
One, is the source of all spiritual light and when He is
amongst us, by guiding one soul towards Him we serve that
one, who is guided, and also serve ourselves; for that soul
served is none other than our own self.
Now, this atmosphere Baba had created became a Centre
for His Work. And we, who assemble here unconsciously
become His workers, whether we like it or not. This brings on
us a certain amount of responsibility. We
JULY 1968 37
must be conscious of our words and deeds. To be a lover of
Baba, to be a worker for Baba's Cause, one has to imbibe into
himself the Message of His Love & Truth. Our honest effort
to love Baba and our honest effort to obey Baba are the only
means left to us to gradually transform our very life and this is
Baba's real work done through us.
Thus we come to the subject of Baba's Work, and it is
befitting for this occasion to refresh our memories with what
Baba said on His Work during the last Sahavas Gathering at
Meherabad:
"Baba" is the Avatar of the age, and the greatest work
anyone can do is to love 'Baba' as "Baba" ought to be loved.
He alone who can love "Baba" does "Baba" Work. What is
"Baba's" Work? It is to tell people who "Baba" is and that
"Baba" says one should love all, slander none, have a pure
heart and not make others suffer for one's own comfort and
pleasure. If Baba's workers themselves lack these qualities,
how can they tell others of what "Baba" says, and work as
"Baba's" workers? On the contrary, such workers have no
share in doing "Baba's" Work. They are obstacles in "Baba's"
Work. There are two types of workers. There is one who tells
people who "Baba" is and what "Baba" says, and himself acts
and lives as He wants His workers, to be in life. There is
another, who also loves Baba in his own way but lacks the
qualities desired by Him. When such a one, instead of doing
His work haphazardly, confesses his incapacity to others, and
tells them what Baba wants them to do, there is no binding
created for the worker and no burden felt by Baba on behalf of
such a worker. The worker should be bold and candid enough
to admit and try to overcome his weaknesses before he
attempts to preach what Baba says. In doing "Baba's" Work
there is one great difficulty. The workers have love for "Baba''
38 DIVYA VANI
no doubt, but at the same time they have their characteristic
weaknesses. The great difficulty resides in the expression of
one's ego—the feeling of self-importance by which one is
possessed, despite one's best efforts to lose it. The heart is for
weakening the ego, but the mind is for strengthening it. The
mind gains a sense of greatness in doing "Baba's" Work.
There is no escaping this. What is to be done then? Try to be
humble? But even when the leader of a group charged with the
responsibility of spreading "Baba's'' Message of Love tries to
be humble, his co-workers may take it as mere posing on the
part of their leader and look down upon him, though for his
quality of leadership other people respect the leader.
Another weak spot in doing "Baba's" Work is that the
workers themselves fail to co-operate. With difference of
opinion they find fault with one another. The result is that the
work itself suffers. All this is because the workers differ
among themselves while they dare to carry to the people
"Baba's'' Message of Love, Tolerance and Purity of heart.
But there is remedy for this type of disunity. If the
workers tried to act upon it sincerely, it would be easy to wipe
away the weak spot, real workers are those who, in addition to
giving help to their leaders, disregard the faults of their leaders
and co-workers. In such cases, the workers themselves
become leaders, and yet remain sincere workers, too. If Baba
workers follow this advice and co-operate with their leaders
and co-workers understanding that it is He who has entrusted
the responsibility to the group-heads, then Beloved "Baba's"
Work would be done.
Visit To Meher-Azad
By Dr. Hira Lall Chopra,
M. A., D.Litt., Calcutta
l. Blessed be Thou the land of India! Greetings to you. It is
you today which contains the very Manifestation of God.
2. Meher Baba is God of the present Age and is your pride,
Human body has been adorned with the dignity of God.
3. Light of God has come to propagate Love,
So that love becomes the remedy of all our maladies.
4. We who got divided on account of caste, creed and colour,
We who got separated from each other in this world,
5. Meher Baba ever tolls the bell and declares "AWAKE"!
O people of the world, how long will you be in slumber
of ignorance?
6. It is time to awaken, "O God-created man, know thy Self,
When you realize your Self, you become God yourself."
English rendering of poems in Persian composed by Dr.
Chopra.
40 DIVYA VANI
7. The whole world is ever beholden to Meher Baba,
Because to the caravan of the soul He rings the bell to
go forward.
8. He wants the people of the world to realize themselves,
They should themselves become God, Yazdan and the
Guide.
9. It behoves if on the birthday of such a Prophet,
I recite a verse from Hafiz of Shiraz:
10. "The dust of the path which has been honoured by the
Beloved's feet,
It just behoves me to make that dust, the antimony for
my eyes"
Visit To Meher-Azad
II
1. I bring my wakeful heart to your threshold,
It is already honoured by your vision, I bring it
once again,
This is my only offering which I bring, to tell you the
truth,
At the threshold of a king (Mahmud), I bring a slave
(Ayaz),
"If it is accepted, this shall be a miracle wrought by me,
If it reaches Baba's feet, it gets the highest honour.
JULY 1968 41
2. The whole world is drowned in dire miseries,
Long ago it has not seen any happy moment,
Peace, harmony and sympathy are vanished,
Your being is a veritable bliss for the worldly people,
Our days and nights are passed in weeping and
lamentation,
Barring Meher Baba, there is no other consolation.
3. We are happy that the Beloved Himself comes to us,
When He comes, our heart gets contentment,
In the burnt garden of our heart, Spring comes when,
Blossoming is to be seen everywhere,
When in trouble we remember Meher Baba,
The gates of blissful heaven are opened unto us.
4. The whole world gets rays of Divine Knowledge from
you Meher Baba!
In your name, the world gets its comfort,
My humble soul gets security in your threshold,
With your kindness, it gets unthinkable treasures,
The path of Love is traversed with ease and comfort,
Even the revolutions of the world do not harm it.
5. Where is friend here for the self-forsaken?
In the presence of Baba, I and you are equal,
If you do not realize your Self, when God is here,
The fault is that you have become self-oblivious,
In Baba's presence if you think of your ego,
Then your Self becomes the cause of all your troubles.
6. When you aspire to roam about in the street of your
beloved,
When you wish to strengthen your own pledge,
Make your ego dust of His path,
Come to Baba and accept LOVE to be your faith,
The gates of the Unseen shall be opened unto your heart,
And the angels of Heaven shall be proud to be your
followers.
DIVINE SILENCE I
1. I take care of my tongue and do not speak aimlessly,
Because I know that by talking I hardly reach my goal,
If I aspire for the revelation of the hidden secrets of
Eternity,
I should realize Meher Baba, who is my objective,
For He unravels the spiritual secrets by His Silence,
He Himself is the Divine Manifestation and Light of God.
2. Man should ponder and contemplate,
And pollute not his tongue with unnecessary talk,
Make silence the amulet of life and utter less,
Silence has a significance which cannot be described;
Except human beings, the whole creation is silent,
By loose talk, man becomes self-oblivious.
3. For humanity, his faith is discipline and restraint,
Nature adorns the Wisdom of man,
If you wish to comprehend within yourself the Light
of God,
Then, you should control your tongue, shut your
eyes and plug your ears,
When you find this world to be heavy, renounce it,
See Meher Baba, so that you see God incarnated.
4. It is forty-one* years that our Baba is silent,
But in His silence, the Divine revelation is there,
* Poem composed on the occasion of 41st Silence
Anniversary.
JULY 1968 43
His gestures are full of knowledge, wisdom and
consciousness,
Though He utters not a word, yet our hearts listen to Him.
With His hands, He shows us the path to our goal,
He tolls the bell so that we prepare for our destination.
5. If I could have a moment's gaze at Meher Baba,
I can sacrifice both the worlds for the dust of his
threshold,
For the sake of the Manifestation of Almighty God,
To attain the throne of success, one should sacrifice
his very life,
Jamshid, Naushirwan, Kaisar and Kisra are all slaves here,
And a slave of His slaves is the pride of humanity.
6. If you cannot surrender to Baba, you can never be with
Him,
Man cannot afford to deny His Divinity,
There is nothing true in this world except love and
sacrifice,
Take it from me that Baba will not speak,
I wish that I should praise Meher Baba by my heart,
It will be a long story, hence I close it with silence.
_______
DIVINE SILENCE
II
1. Prophets who are intoxicated with the wine of Love,
They are the deliverers of humanity with paradise on
their shoulders.
44 DIVYA VANI
2. They sound the bell of awakening,
They neither cut their hair, nor wear patched-garment.
3. With their breath, they command us to rise up,
They know full well all yesterdays, todays and tomorrows,
4. They suffer mortification for the creation,
And ever strive for the betterment of humanity.
5. Though they are intoxicated with the wine of gnosticism,
They quaff with pleasure the fatal venom of the world too.
6. In God Almighty's shadow, they are pivots of their times,
With Eternity in their sleeves and both worlds in their lap.
7. They give peace, purity and tranquillity to the world
They are silent; but, Creation emanates from them.
8. They give away palaces and royal habitations to
worldly people,
Themselves they live in straw.
9. They drink poison and are not perturbed even with abuses,
They are the fountain-head of sweetness and
disburse sweetness.
10. They listen to the worries of the entire world,
Silent though they are, they are the shield of the world.
11. MEHER BABA is the leader of all of them,
He gives wisdom to humanity and Himself is silent.
12. "Come hither, learn and realize yourself"—
This is the message of Meher Baba for the Self-oblivious.
BOOKS RECEIVED
"AVATAR MEHER BABA'S LIFE-SKETCH & SOME
MESSAGES & HIS DISCOURSE ON 'LOVE AND GOD'"—
in BENGALI
This elegant publication in Bengali was specially blessed
by Beloved Baba and was released on 10th July, 1968 the
commencement of the 44th year of Meher Baba's SILENCE,
at a public meeting at Calcutta. It has been well received and
reviewed by one and all.
Authorship and Compilation:— A Committee of seven
ardent lovers of Meher Baba in Calcutta.
In addition to Life-Sketch, and Discourse on "LOVE
AND GOD", it contains several important messages and
extracts from certain other discourses of Baba. Also the
"Parvardigar " and "Repentance" Prayers; the latest messages
of Baba, viz., "Rejoice ...... " and "something great to happen".
There is a Foreword by Professor Sri Narayandas Basu, who
is also the President of the Bengal Theosophical Federation.
Size: Demy one-eighth (8.8" x 5.6"). Pages 40, plus one
attractive photograph of Baba on art paper. Excellent printing
on superior paper by top-rank printers of India.
PUBLISHED for "Society in West Bengal for Avatar
Meher Baba" by A. C. S. CHARI, Komala Vilas, 73,
Rashbehari Avenue, Calcutta - 26, to whom please write for
copies (given free).
The One in Two
(Adaptation of a Discourse by Meher Baba)
By Phillips D. Phillips, U.S. A.
Adventure into heights
Hidden in each - other
Twixt Man and Woman
Rests... all spiritual possibility—
That Vision of Truth
Within Creation is
Manifest to them.....
Joined in the Art-of-Life—
Two discriminate the One
Without side-tracking
Upon the whole panorama
As being their chance
To make of the lower,
The grist and energy
Providing the tension
To sublimate into His Love—
The balance of Destiny
Sings to two in One
Rallying them
To challenge bondage
In the dance
Of ignorance and light...
Precipitate the inner,
Fleeing shadows
Wears out darkness
JULY 1968 47
As the disguised
Opportunity of Freedom
To establish the Real
The lasting understanding
Of patience the coping—
With Complex Day
And delicate Night—
Lofty Fellowship
Vehicle of sacrifice
The Divine in Humanity
Blesses with Children,
Enriches the elders
In the delight
Of spontaneous surrender—
Welcome the Children
Out of the Divine Mind
Offer each a choice
Of raising 'self'
From passion to peace—
In the 'now' of animal
To the 'pure' of Everlasting
The miracle of bearing
And rearing ...
The Gift to Woman;
While Fatherhood
Is shoulder
Economy, education—
The Truth of Marriage
Is perfect Justice,
The Cooperative endeavor
To attain the full
Mental-control
Emptying 'self'
Through Joy and sorrow
The marriage traverses
So much of the Path,
That only the touch
Of the Master
Can raise them
To the sanctuary
Of Eternal Life......
D I V Y A V A N I (An English Monthly)
To Our Subscribers Abroad :
Annual Subscription:
For those living in U.S.A. $. 6-00 Inclusive of Postal
Charges by Sea only.
-do- in England
& Australia £. 2-00 -do-
N.B:—If copies are to be sent by Air Mail, the annual sub-
scriptions will be double the amounts mentioned above.
Helpers:
Those who donate $. 12/- or £. 4/- or more every
year are deemed to be our helpers and they shall be
supplied with a copy each of "Divya Vani", monthly,
published during the year, post free and cost free. (by Sea)
Patrons:
Those of the donors who pay at a time as their love-
contribution $. 100 or £. 40 are deemed as Patrons and
they shall be entitled for one copy each of the Journal,
cost free and post free. (by Sea).
If the copies of the publications are to be sent by Air
Mail, the Extra Postage that may be required will have to
be sent in advance every year.
Kindly note that the subscription for the year is from
July to June and is payable in advance. The amounts may
be remitted to us through either: Mr. Fred Winterfeldt,
100 West, 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019, U.S.A., or
Mr. Bill Lepage, Meher House, Kalianna Crescent,
Beacon Hill, N.S.W., (Australia) or Mr. Douglas H. Eve,
78 Grosvenor Ave., Carshalton, Surrey, (England, U.K.)
from the respective countries.
—Editor & Publisher
NEWS IN BRIEF
Avatar Meher Baba's 74th Birthday
Celebrations
SURAT: Avatar Meher Baba's Birthday Celebrations
were held for the first time at Surat. Baba's Nama-Japa was
done at the residence of Sri Engineer from l1 a.m. on 25th Jan.
till 2 30 p.m. on 25th Feb '68. On this occasion, more than 100
lepers and blind persons were given food. They all joined in
repeating 'Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai.' three times, and
dispersed with great joy. The programme came to an end with
the recitation of Arti.
—Sri R A. Engineer
Avatar Meher Baba Allahabad Centre:
Avatar Meher Baba's 74th birthday was celebrated here
with great enthusiasm under the auspices of Avatar Meher
Baba Centre at its two-day function in the Annie Besant Hall,
Lowther Road.
The first-day function on February 17 was inaugurated by
Smt. Mahadevi Varma, a noted Hindi poetess, and presided
over by Shri Justice H. O. P. Tripathi, of Allahabad High
Court.
Speakers which included Swami Satya Prakash Udaseen
from Hyderabad and Prof. Girija Nandan Dubey of Jabalpur
Vidyapeeth in their respective speeches dealt extensively on
the life and achievements of Meher Baba, who had been
described as the Avatar of the age.
50 DIVYA VANI
The second-day function on February 18, was presided
over by Swami Satya Prakash Udaseen and inaugurated by Pt.
Sumitra Nandan Pant, a distinguished Hindi poet. Speakers at
the function paid rich tributes to Avatar Meher Baba.
A large number of distinguished local citizens as well as
from outside Allahabad, namely Sardar Amar Singh Saigal
from Delhi, Shri Samir Kumar Bannerji from Varanasi, Prof.
A. K. Hazra from Jabalpur, Shri Pratap Narain Mishra from
Bombay and Shri Madhusudan and party from Poona
participated in the two-day birthday celebrations.
Shri Saligram Sharma, convenor of the function, in the
end proposed a vote of thanks to the distinguished speakers
and devotees of Meher Baba who had made the function a
success.
A telegraphic message from Meher Baba wishing His
devotees a successful spiritual life to uncover the mystery of
life and death and to free themselves from their bondage was
read out by Shri Sharma on the occasion.
AVATAR MEHER BABA DELHI CENTRE: In
connection with the 74th Birthday Celebrations of Beloved
Baba, several public meetings were arranged by the Centre.
The meeting organised by Sri. P. N. Ganju on 7th April '68 at
the HIL Township was addressed by Dr. C. D. Deshmukh. On
14th April, Sri T. N. Dar organised a public meeting at
Sarojini Nagar Colony, which was inaugurated by Sri S.
Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Health, Govt. of India.
Sri Sondhi, M.P. and Sri Chinta Sarva Rao spoke on the
occasion. Sri Krishna Prashad arranged the meeting at Trikona
Park on 21st April, which was inaugurated by Sri P. Govinda
Menon, Minister of Law. While Smt. Panjab Rao Deshmukh,
M.P. presided over the meeting, Sri Prabhakar Misra, Sri
Kapindraji, Sardar Amar Singh Saigal and Sri W. D. Kain
JULY 1968 51
spoke on the life and teachings of Avatar Meher Baba. Sri
N.K. Karanjiya, Director, Central Bank of India and Sri Lala
Jagan Nath, a great philanthropist of Delhi also paid tributes to
Beloved Baba on this occasion. This meeting which lasted for
more than three hours was attended by the elite of the city.
On 28th April, there was a very large gathering at Baljit
Nagar Colony, where the devotional music was the chief
feature. Though the Celebrations were to have concluded with
the special function on 5th May, another public meeting was
organised by the Pahargunj lovers of Baba on 12th May, in the
premises of the Chitragupta Temple. Dr. C. D. Deshmukh and
Sri Abdul Majid Khan who came specially for this function
spoke on Avatar Meher Baba and His Message of Love.
—W. D. Kain
Bombay Lovers' Pilgrimage To Tirthpuri Meherdham:
A group of ardent Baba lovers from Bombay led by Sri
Gulabdas Panchal visited Tirthpuri, Chanda and Ballarsha
during April '68. At Tirthpuri village, situated about 25 miles
from Jalna in Aurangabad Dist., Maharashtra State, Sri
Vibhutidas, a very old and staunch devotee of Beloved Baba
since the last 35 years took the initiative and built a permanent
structure for MEHER DHAM in beautiful surroundings. To
celebrate the third anniversary, Akhanda Nama Japa, Baba
Sankirtan and other programmes were arranged from 29th
March to 4th April '68. On this occasion villagers, in
thousands even from long distances in Marathwada had come
to Meher Dham to have darshan of Baba's 'Paduka'. With his
untiring zeal and sincere work, Sri Vibhutidas assisted by a
group of local lovers, organised the function on a grand scale.
Everyday, more than a thousand people used to come to
Meher Dham and free food was provided for one and all.
Many villagers would bring voluntary offerings for God
BABA,
52 DIVYA VANI
since they have come to believe the word of Gadge Maharaj,
who declared Baba as the living Vithoba. Among others Sri
Rao Saheb Sarpanch Patil of Tirthpur contributed a substantial
amount for the construction of Meher Dham and also for the
programmes.
Baba lovers from Bombay arrived at Tirthpuri on 2nd
April '68. That night, in the specially built pandal, over 2000
people heard in pin-drop silence Sri Vibhutidas telling them
about the living God Meher Baba and His teachings in Kirtan
form. Sri Vibhutidas, an old little giant even danced in ecstasy.
He had been able to bring thousands of Marathwada villagers,
rich and poor at the feet of Beloved Baba. On 3rd April, there
was Kirtan programme by Sri Duniyadas Maharaj. On 4th
early morning, about 200 people joined 'Prabhat Peri'. As it
was Bazar day in Tirthpuri, a big Mela was arranged near
Meher Dham, and long queues had to be formed for people to
have Baba's Darshan in His Dham. In the night, a grand
procession was taken out, in which about 2000 people
participated. On 5th morning, there was Kirtan and Prayers
and later more than 4000 people received Baba's Prasad.
During their visit, Bombay lovers had seen with their own
eyes the beautiful picture of Baba on the wood, in the nearby
village Karanjal. It is related that in the village Karanjal, there
is a very ardent but poor Baba lover by name Sri Sonar
Sakharam. A few months back, some of his friends ridiculed
him and said that if Baba is God, they must see Him in
everything. Sri Sakharam replied that though Baba is
physically present in Meherazad, He is always present
everywhere and in everything, since even Gadge Maharaj has
told that Baba is the living Vithoba. Then one of them
challenged Sri Sakharam to show Baba in a piece of old wood
which was lying there. Sri Sakharam told them to cut the
wood and find Baba even in that wood. When they cut the
wood into two parts, to their great surprise they could see a
clear and beautiful picture of Beloved Baba. Now all the
people in the village are Baba lovers.
On their return journey, Bombay lovers visited Chanda
Centre. A special gathering was held on 7th night. On 8th &
10th, Sri Pisal, president of the Centre arranged for Baba's
film shows near Chana Fort Maidan and
JULY 1968 53
Gandhi Maidan respectively which were witnessed by about
3000 people. On th a special programme was arranged at the
residence of Sri Nimbarte, the host at Ballarsha. Sri Manohar,
Quawal, Sri Kasangottuwar, Secretary and many other Baba
lovers from Chanda Centre also participated in the function.
Sri Gulabdas Panchal sang some Bhajans, which were very
much appreciated. Earlier on the same day, there was a Baba
film show before a gathering of about 1500 people at
Ballarsha. The next day, they participated in a gathering of the
Ladies Centre, organised by Smt. Pushpa Rahpade at
Ballarsha. After few bhajans, there was a talk about Baba and
His Avataric work. During this journey, it was a pleasant ex-
perience for these Baba lovers to see that many people who
had never seen physically Beloved Baba were very sincerely
working in His Cause.
— Gulabdas Panchal
BABA STILL AT HARDWAR:
On the occasion of Ardh-Kumbh-Mela held during April
'68 at Hardwar, Baba lovers of Dehra Dun, namely Sri Bal
Kishan, Smt. Prakashwati, Sardar Varindar Singh, and Sri
Kishan Singh opened a Baba Stall, in order to convey Beloved
Baba's Message of Love and Truth to the lakhs of people
visiting the Mela. The Stall was situated at a very central place
and was also nicely decorated with Baba's sayings and
pictures. Literature in English and Hindi, Baba lockets, rings,
etc., were also displayed in the stall. Swami Premananda from
Kabir Ashram, Rishikesh, Sri W. D. Kain and Sri F. C. Tara
from New Delhi also attended to the work at the stall. The
presence of Swami Premananda in pink robes for the first four
days attracted large number of Sadhus to the stall. Though he
is a new Baba lover, he could answer the visitors satisfactorily
about the Avatarhood of Baba. There were many Sadhus and
saints, who visited the stall, bowed down before Beloved
Baba's picture and gave expression of His greatness in various
ways. The presence of Sardar Varindar Singh, who boldly
declared Baba as God, also attracted a good number of Sikh
gentlemen.
Though it is very difficult to give the exact number of
visitors to the stall, at least 2 lakhs had Baba's darshan through
His picture at the stall. Out of them, more than 50,000 must
have actually entered the stall, drawn by His Divine Love.
Sant Kripal Singh was one of the many
54 DIVYA VANI
prominent saints who visited the. Baba stall at Hardwar. A
saintly woman visitor after seeing Baba's picture and being
told that He is the Avatar actually cried out: "Here you are! I
have been searching for You so long Oh Krishna! I thought
you will certainly meet me here." As most of the people left
Hardwar on 13th April, it was arranged to close the stall on
16th instant. Even the furniture was returned, but most
unusually a very large number of persons actually poured into
the stall and evinced keen interest to know about Baba. They
were very much impressed by the sweet talk of Smt. Prakash-
wati and remarkable explanations about Baba's Avatarhood by
Sri Varindar Singh.
—Kishan Singh
AVATAR MEHER BABA CHITTOOR CENTRE: Baba
lovers of Chittoor Centre have been very active in His Cause
during the last few months. On the occasion of Sankara
Jayanti Celebrations in Sivananda Ashram, Sri Aswartham
addressed a gathering on Baba's Avatarhood on 2nd May '68.
The meeting largely attended by Sadhus and Sanyasis was
presided over by Swami Vidyananda Girinadha. The talk by
Sri Aswartham with quotations from scriptures was very well
received.
At the invitation of Sri Manegar Lokanadha Reddy and
others, Sri Aswartham visited Nagulamma Putta on 9th June
'68 and addressed a big gathering on Beloved Baba and His
Messages. This place is associated with a number of miracles
in the recent past by a Harijan devotee Sri Gujjayya Das. On
the same day Sri Aswartham and party visited Cherlapalle and
Gazulapalle villages and addressed meetings attended by
hundreds of persons about Avatar Meher Baba.
— V. R. Aswartham
AVATAR MEHER BABA CHALLAPALLI CENTRE:
At Challapalli, Poornima Sammelan on 12th April '68 was
arranged in a specially erected pandal. Sri K. Ramakrishna,
M.A., delivered an interesting talk on 'Rebirth'. About 500
people attended the function. In connection with Beloved
Baba's very strict and deep seclusion, special programmes
were arranged every day from 11th to 21st May '68. Meetings
were held in the neighbouring villages also to spread Beloved
Baba's Name and His Messages.
— Bh. V. Ramana Rao
JULY 1968 55
INAUGURATION OF AVATAR MEHER BABA
Ismailkhanpet Centre
Sangareddy Taluk, Medak Dist.
Avatar Meher Baba has been often saying that He Himself
would be doing His work and it is only out of His Infinite
Grace that He gives opportunities to Baba workers and lovers
to associate themselves with His Work. This is literally true in
the case of blossoming up of a new Meher Centre—the first
Centre in the Telengana rural area—on 3-6-68. This time
Beloved Baba worked through Brother Raghu Ram, another
new addition to the band of active workers at Meher Vihar,
Hyderabad. Brother Raghu Ram who happened to be drawn
into His fold since about 2 years back, slowly but steadily, be-
came an ardent lover of Baba, after participating in the Meher
Vihar activities at Hyderabad, specially during the early
morning "Nagara Sankeerthana" programme undertaken by
Meher Vihar, Hyderabad from 29th May, 1968 for 43 days to
commemorate the 43rd Silence Anniversary of Beloved Baba.
Having been inspired to spread Beloved Baba's Divine Name
and Message in his native village, called Ismailkhanpet about
35 miles from Hyderabad in Medak District, he and Brothers
B. Pandary, Pandari Guda etc., collected about 20 young and
enthusiastic workers at their village in whom love for Baba
has been infused sufficiently and organised AVATAR
MEHER BABA lSMAILKHANPET CENTRE, and com-
menced early morning "Nagara Sankeerthana" from 4-30 a.m.
to 5-30 a.m. from 3-6-68 onwards. This programme drew
more and more people in the village and at the specific request
of the villagers, a Public Meeting had been arranged on 23-6-
68 (Sunday) at the premises of Geeta Mandir in the village, in
order to acquaint the whole village with Beloved Baba's
biography and Messages. Swami Satya Prakash Udaseen,
Founder President, Meher Vihar, Hyderabad along with others
reached the village at about 5-00 p.m. on 23-6-68 for the
above function. Beloved Baba (Portrait) has been taken in pro-
cession in palanquin with "Sannai'' accompaniment during
which procession the entire village has participated with
wholehearted love and zeal, when practically at every house
Beloved Baba was received with hundreds of people, young
and old, men and women, even though it
56 DIVYA VANI
was raining heavily. Later, under the presidentship of Swami
Satya Prakash Udaseen, Sri M. B. G. Shastri spoke at length
on Beloved Baba and His Divine Message of Love and Truth.
Swamiji in his presidential address brought home to the
audience the need of The Avatar at the present critical period
in the history of man and exhorted them all to place complete
faith in Baba, as The Avatar of The Age, and to love Him
more and more. It is really, their supreme love for Baba, that
made most of the audience continue to listen standing, as the
ground had become very slushy due to rain. The whole
audience cheered and cried "AVATAR MEHER BABA KI
JAI" at every inspired occasion during the programme. The
meeting was closed finally with observance of silence for two
minutes and performance of Arati, after which 'prasadam' was
distributed profusely.
Thus, the Centre at lsmailkhanpet though actually
commenced functioning from 3-6-68 was formally in-
augurated by Swami Satya Prakash Udaseen on 23-6-68 and it
is a happy augury of a new phase in the activities of Meher
Vihar.
Baba lovers numbering about twenty had observed
complete silence from midnight of 9-7-68 till midnight of 10-
7-68 (24 hours) as per Life Circular No. 69 and it was a great
occasion for the village; for on 11-7-68 there was again a
grand procession and Bhajan Programme in the morning and
POOR FEEDING PROGRAMME has been conceived and
carried out solely by Brother M. Narsimlu, with the physical
assistance and co-operation of the other Baba lovers. May
Avatar Meher Baba bless brother M. Narasimlu and his family
for their expression of their love for Baba in the above manner.
May Avatar Meher Baba bless all the young band of workers
of Ismailkhanpet Centre, whose love for Baba has brought the
new Centre into existence. May He bless this young Centre to
spread His Divine Message to all nooks and corners of Medak
District.
Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai !
—M. B. G. Shastri
THE LIFE CIRCULARS OF
AVATAR MEHER BABA (A COMPILATION OF THE 67 LIFE CIRCULARS)
With an INTRODUCTION by Shri ADI K. IRANI
Pages : 148
Price : Inland – Excluding Postage: Rs. 3-00
Extra for Book Post: Re 1-00
Over Seas – Including Postage by Sea Mail: $ 0-75
by Air Mail: $ 1-50
The New Life of
AVATAR MEHER BABA
And
HIS COMPANIONS (A COMPILATION OF ALL THE 34 NEW L!FE CIRCULARS
ISSUED FROM 28th Oct '49 TO 1st Feb '52)
With an INTRODUCTION by Shri ADI K. IRANI
Pages: 324 (with Calico binding)
Price : Inland – Excluding Postage: Rs. 8-00
Extra: By Book Post: Re. 1-00
Over Seas – Including Postage by Sea Mail: $ 1-50
by Air Mail: $ 4-00
FOR COPIES PLEASE WRITE TO:
THE MEHER VIHAR TRUST
3-6-441, 5th Street, Himayatnagar
HYDERABAD – 29, A. P., (India)
N O TI C E
Pin-Lockets and Chain-Pendants with pictures of Beloved
Baba, touched and blessed by Him, are available from Jal S.
Irani, 765, Dastur Meher Road, Camp Poona-1, (Maharashtra
State), India.
1) Superior quality pendant-lockets with chain, for
wearing round neck. Price: Rs. 15-00 and Rs. 25-00.
2) Variety of button-lockets (badges) for pinning on to
coats and dresses. Price: Rs. 1-50 and Rs. 2-00.
3) Beautiful plastic pendant-lockets in two sizes (without
chain). Price: Rs. 3-00 and Rs. 5-00.
4) Attractive rings with Baba's picture, in different sizes.
Price: Rs. 3-00, Rs. 4-00 and Rs. 5-00.
5) Loose Baba-picture stones in colour, for fixing on
rings or lockets. Price: Re. 1-00 and Rs. 1-50.
6) Pretty variety of pendant-lockets for wearing round
neck, with stone inset having Baba's coloured picture.
Price: Rs. 1-50 and Rs. 2-00.
___________________________________________
The Moving Finger Writes (Part II)
Spiritual Revelations By
Meher Baba
Edited by Amy and Adi Arjani
A collection of Discourses by Meher Baba in simple and
lucid style; printed on fine art paper with an attractive portrait
of the God-Man as the frontispiece.
Price: Rs. 1-25
Copies can be had from:
Mr. A. K. Arjani,
C.W.N.A, (7b) Gulshan,
DACCA-12, E. Pakistan
_________________________________________________
(Continued from 2nd cover page)
Meher Baba by His Eastern & Western Disciples ... 1.00
The East West Gathering by Francis Brabazon ... 8.00
God-Man by Charles Purdom (Published in England) ... 37.50
The Unstruck Music of Meher Baba
Compiled by Maud Kennedy (Mimeographed) ... 23.00
In Lap of Love by Naosherwan K. Nalavala ... 3.00
What Am I Doing Here? by Ivy O. Duce
(Published in U.S.A.) ... 5.00
Flower of Contemplation by Adah Francis Shifrin ... 1.00
Life Circulars of Avatar Meher Baba
(Annual subscription from April to March) ... 4.00
The Awakener (Quarterly Journal – Published in
U.S.A.) Annual subscription, including
Registered Postage, from July to June ... 15.00
Available from:
MEHER PUBLICATIONS King's Road, AHMEDNAGAR
Maharashtra—India
Meher Baba on 'War' ... ... Rs. 0-50
Meher Baba on 'Love' ... ... Rs. 0-40
Declarations of Divinity ... ... Rs. 0-30
Why Meher Baba is Silent? ... ... Rs. 0-25
Meher Baba on 'Hell and Heaven' ... ... Rs. 0-20
Meher Baba on 'The New World Culture' ... ... Rs. 0-15
A Discourse by Avatar Meher Baba ... ... Rs. 0-10
The Call of Hope ... ... Rs. 0-50
The Word when I Speak ... ... Rs. 0-20
Available from
Meher Era Publications Avatar Meher Baba Poona Centre
441-1 Somwar Peth, Poona – 2.
Regd. No. H. 554 Divya Vani
Edited, Printed and Published on behalf of The Meher Vihar Trust by Swami Satya
Prakash Udaseen & Printed at Meher Art Printers, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad – 29
Print Edition
Text
Online Edition
Text
Page
Num-
ber
Para-
graph
No.
Line
Num-
ber
daulity duality 5 2 4
langer larger 6 2 6
Ma Master 13 1 13
Unive Univer- 21 4 5
persistance persistence 31 2 3
fomeless toneless 31 5 2